Forbes tallied income from revenue streams including broadcast deals, sponsorship and ticket sales.

Overall, the top 20 clubs saw their average value decline to $632 million from $691 million, with 15 teams seeing their values decline.

Juventus and Olympic Marseille had the two biggest increases in value - each gaining 9% on the previous year.

United, who claim to have 333 million followers worldwide, will begin a new sponsorship deal with American insurance giants Aon Corporation next season that will bring in $34 million a year over four years, 50% more than its current deal with AIG.

"The club has really established itself as one of the top brands in world sport," Peter Schwartz, a business sports writer for Forbes, said in a statement.

"New kit deals and great marketing has seen them maintain their status despite all the problems of the global recession."

Despite their success on and off the field, a wealthy group of United fans, known as the Red Knights, are putting together a bid to buy out the Glazers, who have loaded $839 million of debt onto the club.